The Crunch: Many consumers choose to shop online during Black Friday instead of dealing with the doorbuster experience. Black Friday kicks off the holiday shopping season but has shifted from a typically one-day, in-store event to a series of online sales that continue through Cyber Week. That means shoppers are spreading out their purchases — and finding better deals on the web. Consumers are looking for trustworthy sources for coupons as they become more savvy about savings. My Favourite Voucher Codes, a UK deals website launched in 2012, was founded to be a destination for consumer savings that also benefits the local community. My Favourite Voucher Codes features deals from thousands of retail brands each month and donates 20% of its net profits to charitable causes, becoming a deal site that consumers can feel good supporting.

Black Friday kicks off the holiday sales season for brick-and-mortar retailers across the globe, but many consumers choose to avoid the crowds in favor of convenient online shopping. There, they can find deals on the same brand-name items without the hassle of venturing into the masses of holiday shoppers.

But competition among e-commerce brands has turned the one-day event into an extended sales window that runs from the Monday before Black Friday through the end of the following week. Shoppers are spreading out their purchases and getting deal-savvy, using online coupons and voucher codes to save even more money — around the holidays, and all year long.

With scores of coupon sites to choose from, consumers value a trustworthy source for savings. Consumers often look for socially-responsible core values in the retail brands they buy from — and can find the same qualities in one unique deal site.

Julian House, Founder of My Favourite Voucher Codes, wanted to start a company that saved people money while giving back to the community.

My Favourite Voucher Codes, a UK business founded in 2012, stands out from other coupon sites because of its commitment to both building consumer trust and giving back to the local community through consistent charitable donations.

Founder Julian House was weary of a corporate career, so he decided to start a business that would directly benefit everyday consumers — and charities.

“He came up with the idea of having a voucher code website — something that would offer people a free resource to save money,” said Tegan Groombridge, Marketing Manager for My Favourite Voucher Codes. “His unique selling proposition was to donate 20% of the business profits to worthy causes.”

My Favourite Voucher Codes has grown from a solo effort to a team of six people who provide timely savings tips, and search for and share thousands of verified voucher codes for hospitality, restaurant, and retail brands each month. Julian’s commitment to incorporating charitable contributions into his business model has resulted in more than £54,000 in donations to local charities in the United Kingdom — and counting.

A Small Business Dedicated to Supporting Local Charities

Every month, 20% of the company’s net profits from advertiser income is donated to a small, locally focused charity. While many businesses donate to charitable organizations, My Favourite Voucher Codes does so in a way that maximizes impact.

“We aim to work with charities where a small amount makes a big difference, such as the local homeless shelter, where £20 feeds a person for a week,” Tegan said. “It enables us to be hands-on and to develop relationships with people.”

The site invites visitors to participate in the process by nominating their favorite charities. When an organization passes the My Favourite Voucher Codes approval process, the team creates a dedicated charity page for it. Once a month, visitors vote for which charity receives a 20% donation.

My Favourite Voucher Codes demonstrates the social responsibility and personalized engagement today’s shoppers are looking for by giving to local charities like The Biscuit Fund, a nonprofit that fights poverty. And the site is delighted to involve visitors in the process.

Sharing Thousands of Verified Vouchers to Maximize Savings

Coupon websites often post many of the same deals, and shoppers quickly learn which ones prioritize honesty and consumer satisfaction. Some sites, fail to clarify the categories to which a brand’s offer applies, waste a shopper’s time by posting expired deals, or share discount links that lead visitors to general sales pages rather than the items they’re interested in.

“We’re honest about where the links are going and clarify whether a percentage-off deal applies to the brand’s sale section, end-of-season merchandise, or clearance. And we’re careful about what we write about those sites, so we’re not misleading people.” — Tegan Groombridge, Marketing Manager for My Favourite Voucher Codes

The team at My Favourite Voucher Codes researches every merchant it features on the website and strives to word every deal it shares clearly. “We want to offer our users a trustworthy source for their vouchers,” Tegan said. “We’re honest about where the links are going and clarify whether a percentage-off deal applies to the brand’s sale section, end-of-season merchandise, or clearance. And we’re careful about what we write about those sites, so we’re not misleading people.”

Deals are updated daily, and the site features an average of 1,000 to 2,000 vouchers each week, a number that fluctuates with sales seasons throughout the year. “The week of Black Friday, we put up between 7,000 and 12,000.”

In addition to discounts, My Favourite Voucher Codes features blog posts from the content team that give readers tips on how to maximize their savings — whether shopping with specific brands, looking for gifts, or preparing for a big event.

Focused on Building a Brand That Consumers Can Trust

The team at My Favourite Voucher Codes has witnessed many shopping trends since 2012 — such as the decline of in-store Black Friday sales and the influx of online shoppers. It’s also seen the need for brands to personally engage with consumers and build trust.

My Favourite Voucher Codes is re-thinking its long-term branding and content marketing strategies to accomplish its goal of becoming the go-to source for savings-savvy consumers. “It’s a future-minded strategy where we build trust,” Tegan said. “We’re trying to build an audience and become a brand.”

Julian’s team, which recently moved into its first private office space, has taken on a new content manager to develop a strategy that includes outreach through both social media and mainstream media channels.

Julian and his team are also investing in the next generation. As head of marketing, Tegan hired a small team of youthful content writers who are up to the task. “I remember being a graduate and trying to find that first step on my career path. So we’re eager to be part of their first step into content writing and share our knowledge with them,” Tegan said.

My Favourite Voucher Codes began with a commitment to giving back, and it has maintained that commitment for both online shoppers and the local community. And the company is building a trusted brand by developing new ways to helps shoppers maximize their savings.

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Jessica Sommerfield is a contributing writer for DealCrunch with over seven years of experience with online publications in the personal finance sector and other consumer-focused niches. Her 13 years of experience in brick-and-mortar stores prior to her writing career have also given her an insider’s perspective on the unique challenges that the retail industry faces.

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